A remake of the Tamil movie of the same name which was a rip off of Memento. Same director and same heroine and the same bad guy who were in the Tamil Ghajini.
For me this movie didn't make the cut.
About 40 minutes too long (running time 3 hours 10 minutes) and all bad songs, except gujarish. The songs have a distinct south Indian feel and none of the songs actually deserve to be there in the movie. All they do (apart from increasing the running time) is slow the pace down. A R Rehman's one of the worst albums in recent times, I feel.
The direction is pretty loose for most of the movie and the story (credited to the director) has loop holes as big as footballs. A couple of scenes are well directed but overall the direction is flat. The cinematography shines - be it the songs or the dark action sequences.
The action is raw but very Rajnikantish and that kind of action went out of fashion in the nineties.
Asin makes a pretty ok debut and she is quite funny in the comic scenes, Jiah Khan should pack up now and leave - and the bad guy on whom the movie is named is pretty insipid. Aamir Khan has built a nice body for the role but his acting is pretty average. He hasn't really done anything new in the movie and the tattoos on the body actually come across as gimmicks to get Aamir go shirtless.
Verdict - 2/5. You won't miss much if you do not watch it.
Saturday, December 27, 2008
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Movie Review - Dasvidaniya
Oh My God !! I am kicking myself for not watching this movie, till now !
Just finished watching the movie - and I had a smile on my lips and tears in my eyes. Such a fantastic movie - simply superb.
Vinay rocks !! I cried with him when he is just about to commit suicide and stood up and laughed with him when he turns the tables on his boss !
It's all about how we take life for granted and do not stop and enjoy it - and when the realisation comes, it's too late. Not everyone gets a chance like Amar Kaul.
Verdict - 4.5/5 You cannot afford to miss this movie.
Friday, December 12, 2008
Movie Review - Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi
A simple guy working in a 9-5 job gets married to a teen vivacious girl under extreme circumstances. Guy loves girl, girl is heartbroken. Guy loves selflessly and transforms himself into a hep new guy and impresses the girl. So whom does the girl choose ?
SRK as the new Raj is way OTT (the role required him to be OTT but he is way over) and as the simpleton he underplays just a wee bit too much. I would not rate this as his anywhere near his good performances. Anushka makes a nice debut - she doesn't have much to do except look pretty and cry. Vinay as SRK's friend simply rocks as Bobby Khosla.
Music is average and the screenplay is full of holes and every emotion is way OTT.
Verdict - 2/5. Watch only if you are a YRF / SRK fan.
ps - the trailers of Ghajini and New York were screened and they were way better than this 2.5 hour movie. New York looks like a very good movie.
SRK as the new Raj is way OTT (the role required him to be OTT but he is way over) and as the simpleton he underplays just a wee bit too much. I would not rate this as his anywhere near his good performances. Anushka makes a nice debut - she doesn't have much to do except look pretty and cry. Vinay as SRK's friend simply rocks as Bobby Khosla.
Music is average and the screenplay is full of holes and every emotion is way OTT.
Verdict - 2/5. Watch only if you are a YRF / SRK fan.
ps - the trailers of Ghajini and New York were screened and they were way better than this 2.5 hour movie. New York looks like a very good movie.
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Movie Review - Quantam of Solace
It's an action packed movie but still unlike a Bond movie. There is a mandatory car chase sequence, a parkour sequence, a motor boat chase, an aircraft chase, hand fights but the movie could not hold any attention. It could have been another action movie with any other star in it. Even Olga is just about ok.
Compared to this, the Bourne series is awesome.
Verdict - 2/5
ps - the low audio was a problem where I watched it too.
Compared to this, the Bourne series is awesome.
Verdict - 2/5
ps - the low audio was a problem where I watched it too.
Movie Review - Dostana
2 friends pretend to be gays to get a house to stay - where stays a hot chick too. both fall in love with her - and her boss arrives to join the party.
Funny in parts - AB is good , John is wooden (acting), Priyanka is hot , Bobby is Bobby. Kiron Kher is her usual OTT self though funny in one scene.
But the usual problem with Bollywood movies comes up again - the movie is a wee bit too long and tends to drag in the 2nd half. 30 minutes could have been easily chopped off.
Locations are yummy and the pink Caddy is droooooooolllllll.
Verdict - 2.5 / 5. Watch it - brainless fun but if gay jokes offend you, be warned.
ps - John has shown almost everything. The movie starts with his Daniel Craig shot (walking out of the sea in yellow shorts and pulling them down)
Funny in parts - AB is good , John is wooden (acting), Priyanka is hot , Bobby is Bobby. Kiron Kher is her usual OTT self though funny in one scene.
But the usual problem with Bollywood movies comes up again - the movie is a wee bit too long and tends to drag in the 2nd half. 30 minutes could have been easily chopped off.
Locations are yummy and the pink Caddy is droooooooolllllll.
Verdict - 2.5 / 5. Watch it - brainless fun but if gay jokes offend you, be warned.
ps - John has shown almost everything. The movie starts with his Daniel Craig shot (walking out of the sea in yellow shorts and pulling them down)
Movie Review - Dil Kabaddi
2 couples and how infidelity affects them personally. Irfan & Soha are one couple while Rahul Bose and Konkana play the other couple. Rahul Khanna and a new girl are in the mix too.
All 4 leads have done a very good job - with Konkana and Irfan being the stand out performers. Soha surprised me with a very strong performance and Rahul Bose has done these kind of roles quite a few times earlier too, he is competent.
They say the movie is a rip off - Husbands & Wives being the inspiration. I haven't watched the original but I enjoyed this one.
Again the one flaw that stands out, is the length in the 2nd half and the pace (it is slow but slows down further later on). All in all a good watch once for married couples.
Verdict - 3/5
ps - with a title like Dil Kabaddi - I expected a raunchy / vulgar movie stressing on sex but though the movie has a lot on sex in it's mind, it's not raunchy at all.
All 4 leads have done a very good job - with Konkana and Irfan being the stand out performers. Soha surprised me with a very strong performance and Rahul Bose has done these kind of roles quite a few times earlier too, he is competent.
They say the movie is a rip off - Husbands & Wives being the inspiration. I haven't watched the original but I enjoyed this one.
Again the one flaw that stands out, is the length in the 2nd half and the pace (it is slow but slows down further later on). All in all a good watch once for married couples.
Verdict - 3/5
ps - with a title like Dil Kabaddi - I expected a raunchy / vulgar movie stressing on sex but though the movie has a lot on sex in it's mind, it's not raunchy at all.
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Airline Reviews
I had a chance to travel to Bengaluru and back on 3 different airlines. here is my experience.
Indigo
Mumbai - Bengaluru @ 2120 hours. I reached the airport around 2045 and was promptly checked in. Had already booked tickets with the seats selected on the website. The female at the counter re-confirmed if I had booked the seats and I said yes.
Flight took off on dot - 2120 we were air borne. Great looking crew and impeccable service coupled with a super clean aircraft made it a great experience. Landed at Bengaluru bang on time - 2250.
The not so good experience was - they gave me row 20 when I had blocked seats on row 6. I did not bother to check as the female asked me whether I had blocked seats so I assummed I would get those seats. And also they do not have cotton that we stuff in the ear - isn't that taking cost cutting a bit too far ?
Verdict - Highly Recommended
Air India (earlier Indian Airlines)
Bengaluru - Mumbai @ 0835. Get a call at 0600 - Sir flight is delayed by 45 minutes. I leave for the airport @ 0715, reach airport around 0825 - pick up the boarding pass and get the security check done with. It's 0850.
Around 0900, I walk up to the staff at the gate and ask them whether the flight is delayed because I have not heard any annoucements for the Mumbai flight. They assure me the ETD is 0930 and they will board at 0915.
Its 1000 and we have not started boarding. The people are getting edgy and restless. 1015 - still nothing, people start raising their voices and we get a feeble response that the aircraft is being cleaned. I look out towards the bay and see the engineers working furiously on the engine. The situation gets more tense with all the people loosing it totally. Abuses fly thick and fast with warnings of getting physical. The airport manager is called in and asked to arrange for putting people in a different airline. They check with Jet and they have 80-100 seats. We are herded back to the check in counter of Jet Airways - get a new boarding pass, pass through security and straight into the aircraft. ETD - 1125 and the flight takes off at 1145 - the delay happens because the checked in luggage has to be transferred from Air India to Jet.
Verdict - Avoid at any cost
Jet Airways
Good service, clean aircrafts and nice looking crew - really good food too.
Verdict - Great
Given a choice between Indigo and Jet - I would go with Indigo because it has cheaper fare
On the flip side - Jet has better connections to different cities.
Indigo
Mumbai - Bengaluru @ 2120 hours. I reached the airport around 2045 and was promptly checked in. Had already booked tickets with the seats selected on the website. The female at the counter re-confirmed if I had booked the seats and I said yes.
Flight took off on dot - 2120 we were air borne. Great looking crew and impeccable service coupled with a super clean aircraft made it a great experience. Landed at Bengaluru bang on time - 2250.
The not so good experience was - they gave me row 20 when I had blocked seats on row 6. I did not bother to check as the female asked me whether I had blocked seats so I assummed I would get those seats. And also they do not have cotton that we stuff in the ear - isn't that taking cost cutting a bit too far ?
Verdict - Highly Recommended
Air India (earlier Indian Airlines)
Bengaluru - Mumbai @ 0835. Get a call at 0600 - Sir flight is delayed by 45 minutes. I leave for the airport @ 0715, reach airport around 0825 - pick up the boarding pass and get the security check done with. It's 0850.
Around 0900, I walk up to the staff at the gate and ask them whether the flight is delayed because I have not heard any annoucements for the Mumbai flight. They assure me the ETD is 0930 and they will board at 0915.
Its 1000 and we have not started boarding. The people are getting edgy and restless. 1015 - still nothing, people start raising their voices and we get a feeble response that the aircraft is being cleaned. I look out towards the bay and see the engineers working furiously on the engine. The situation gets more tense with all the people loosing it totally. Abuses fly thick and fast with warnings of getting physical. The airport manager is called in and asked to arrange for putting people in a different airline. They check with Jet and they have 80-100 seats. We are herded back to the check in counter of Jet Airways - get a new boarding pass, pass through security and straight into the aircraft. ETD - 1125 and the flight takes off at 1145 - the delay happens because the checked in luggage has to be transferred from Air India to Jet.
Verdict - Avoid at any cost
Jet Airways
Good service, clean aircrafts and nice looking crew - really good food too.
Verdict - Great
Given a choice between Indigo and Jet - I would go with Indigo because it has cheaper fare
On the flip side - Jet has better connections to different cities.
Movie Review - Transporter 3
Been there, done that. Jason sleepwalks through the movie as does the director. More fight sequences than the car chases and the chases not that interesting too.
Verdict - 2/5
Verdict - 2/5
Movie Review - Oye Lucky Lucky Oye
It's an ok movie. Tells the story of Lucky a small time lower middle class sardarji from Delhi who grows up into a thief with a heart of gold. The movie is zingy in the first 30 minutes and then slows down a great deal.
Frankly after a while you are not bothered why these things are happening - the attention to characters and locations is top class and you can connect to the characters immediately - more so if you are from the north.
Abhay Deol is cool - playing Lucky with a calm charisma - rest of the cast is seasoned and perform as per expectations. For me the scene stealer was the young sardar who played Lucky in his younger days - superb performance.
Watch it if you have nothing to do.
Verdict 2.5/5 - Good but not anywhere near great.
Frankly after a while you are not bothered why these things are happening - the attention to characters and locations is top class and you can connect to the characters immediately - more so if you are from the north.
Abhay Deol is cool - playing Lucky with a calm charisma - rest of the cast is seasoned and perform as per expectations. For me the scene stealer was the young sardar who played Lucky in his younger days - superb performance.
Watch it if you have nothing to do.
Verdict 2.5/5 - Good but not anywhere near great.
Sunday, December 07, 2008
???
I am visiting my own space here after 3 months.
I know I was busy with work and stuff and I also know that is no reason not to do something that you wanted to - but that is the truth ! I had no time .......or maybe I did not make time .......
And here I am now....ready to write again but not knowing what to write........a million confused thoughts in my head as if I am going write something for the 1st time...................and it has to be the best. But then again if what you do 1st is your best effort then you can only go downhill from there..............
Damn it .........will write when I am more clear in my bloody head .........it's pretty messed up now..
ciaao
I know I was busy with work and stuff and I also know that is no reason not to do something that you wanted to - but that is the truth ! I had no time .......or maybe I did not make time .......
And here I am now....ready to write again but not knowing what to write........a million confused thoughts in my head as if I am going write something for the 1st time...................and it has to be the best. But then again if what you do 1st is your best effort then you can only go downhill from there..............
Damn it .........will write when I am more clear in my bloody head .........it's pretty messed up now..
ciaao
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